Friend of Julie: April Exercise Goals

It's time to get moving! For the month of April I have set exercise goals for myself to help me keep committed to exercise. I've been on this weight loss program for over 3 years and this way of eating is a routine way of life for me. It's time to make exercise routine as well. I feel great mentally and physically when I exercise, so why not feel this way every day?

Get moving!

Last summer I walked at 6am with a friend and after months of her encouragement, I finally bought a Fitbit. It's been a great tool to keep me motivated to meet my walking goals and keep me accountable. Having a walking buddy is a great help too, as time seems to pass faster and I stepped up my game to get up to her walking pace.

I did great keeping up with my steps throughout the fall with my friend and when the temperature dropped we moved into the gym. Then the dead of winter hit and I fell off my routine. My friend traveled a lot and I didn't get in the gym much. A few weeks ago, we recommitted to walking again and I feel great, but I want more consistency. Oh, and I have a 10k run in 3 weeks!

So, what's a girl to do? Encourage more friends to buy a Fitbit so we can inspire one another of course! I now have 10 Fitbit friends and it's been a lot of fun cheering each other on. Fit bit has these fun icons that you can cheer your friends and they get a message of encouragement from you via email.

Last night I was disappointed in how low my number of steps were at the end of the day. I reported to my friends "What? Only 8,405 steps today? How is that possible? I was sure I did well over 10,000. Sigh...."

One friend encouraged me to meet my 10,000 steps by doing the steps inside my house.

"I'll go up and down my stairs 10 times and report back in" I replied and then I did it!

I did it!

See how this works? Friends can be a great motivator for us!

My Exercise Goals for April

1. Walk 10,000 steps daily, which is a little over 4 miles.
2. Do 30 squats daily: 3 days on, 1 day off, and repeat for the whole month.
   This How to Squat video explains how to do a squat the right way and the key is this: if your knees or back hurt you're doing them wrong! How cool is that? No pain should be going on when you're doing squats!
3. Five minutes of upper arm workout.
   This How to Tone Your Upper Arms video shows 3 simple exercises that I can do after my walk, so my body is warmed up before I do them.

How About You?

Are you ready to set small daily goals for the month of April? Small goals are easier to accomplish, foster a sense of success, and helps you achieve the next day's goals.

Each daily goal is like a rung on a ladder that helps you, step by step, to the top. --AARP

Start where you are today and make realistic goals. You don't have run a marathon, but can you walk out your front door for 5 minutes and then back home? Start there and add on longer goals. If you can walk for 20 minutes, build up to 30 minutes. Signup for a 3 mile walk (5k) later this year that will help you reach a 3-mile goal. Find a friend to join you or do it alone, either way it will help you and help raise money for a good cause. If you've been walking 3 miles, consider a 6 mile (10k) or commit to walking more times a week.

Walking won't just get you in better shape — it could cut down your chances of developing dementia as well. Plus, some studies show that people who cannot walk a quarter-mile in five minutes have a higher mortality rate. Buy a pedometer; try to average 10,000 steps a day, seven days a week. (source unknown)

Resources

These resources may help you get started exercise or to kick things up:

• How to Squat
• 10 Simple Steps to Get FitUpper Arm
• How to Tone Your Upper Arms